[env-trinity] House passes five-day government funding bill, averting weekend shutdown

[Tom Stokely]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/12/11/house-passes-five-day-government-funding-bill-averting-weekend-shutdown/77140290/


House passes five-day government funding bill, averting weekend shutdown
Erin Kelly, USA TODAYWASHINGTON — The House passed a bill Friday to keep the federal government funded until midnight Wednesday, averting a shutdown that would have begun Saturday if Congress had not acted.The temporary spending measure, approved by voice vote, gives lawmakers five more days to try to negotiate a deal on a $1.1 trillion spending package to fund federal agencies through the 2016 fiscal year. The Senate passed the short-term extension by voice vote on Thursday."I hope we take this new time period to avoid a shutdown permanently rather than just do it (temporarily) again and again and again," said Jared Polis, D-Colo., a member of the House Rules Committee.Lawmakers voted in September to set Dec. 11 as the deadline for passing a spending bill when they were unable to do it by the start of the 2016 fiscal year on Oct. 1. It became clear last week that lawmakers would not be able to meet the Dec. 11 deadline because of disagreements over policy riders attached to the bill.Democrats object to efforts by Republicans to block new environmental rules to reduce power plant emissions, weaken regulations governing the financial-services industry, and make it more difficult for Syrian refugees to flee to the U.S."You don't bring government to the brink of a shutdown over policy riders," Polis said.Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., a member of the Rules, Budget and Appropriationscommittees, said he believes lawmakers will be able to reach a deal next week."Where we end up will undoubtedly be a compromise," Cole said. "If we all sit here and wait til we get 100 percent of what we want, nothing will ever pass in the U.S. House of Representatives...Give the American people what they deserve: some peace, quiet and certainty in the Christmas season."USA TODAYAre we headed toward another government shutdown?Congress is slated to adjourn for the year by the end of next week, and finishing the huge omnibus spending bill is the last big priority before lawmakers head home for the holidays.The House had been expected to vote before leaving town on final passage of a budget bill that would have repealed key sections of Obamacare and stripped federal funding from Planned Parenthood. However, it now appears that the House will not take up that legislation until it returns from recess in January.
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